The Story of Our Tea
Six Generations.
One Mountain.
Our tea comes from the Shi family, part of the Yi ethnic community in XiGui village, Yunnan. Six generations of tea mastery. Not a marketing story — a way of life.
In 1982, the Shi family was allocated 126.8 acres on the XiGui mountain. Forty years later, they've transformed that land into one of Yunnan's most respected tea gardens.
In 2012, at the Lincang Government Tea Expo, their tea earned recognition as exceptional. But they didn't change their methods. They stayed true to what they'd always done: grow tea naturally, harvest with care, and let the mountain do the talking.
Why Xigui Matters
Mountain Terroir
Natural Ecosystem
Generations of Knowledge
XiGui sits at the perfect elevation for Shengcha. Cool air, natural shade, mineral-rich soil. Geography creates flavor.
No monoculture here. Tea plants grow alongside wild plants, insects, and birds. This biodiversity creates complexity in the leaves.
Six generations means deep understanding. Not just how to grow tea, but *when*, *how much*, and *why*.
Our Journey to Malaysia
In 2025, We Made a Decision
In 2025, I had the chance to visit XiGuiMangLu.
It was more than just a trip. It felt like reconnecting with a part of myself I had almost forgotten.
I was born and raised in a city, surrounded by noise, schedules, traffic, and constant movement. But ever since I was young, my parents would occasionally bring me away from all of that — to places with fresh air, rivers, forests, and quiet nights under the sky. Those moments stayed with me.
As I grew older, I started to realize how precious peace really is.
Not the kind that comes from silence alone, but the kind that gently settles inside your heart. I began to appreciate calm places more and more — places where the air feels colder, the pace slows down, and your mind can finally rest.
That was exactly how I felt in XiGui.
I still remember sitting in a small pondok beside a huge flowing river, surrounded by mountains and the cool breeze brushing across my skin. The sounds around me were simple, yet unforgettable — the flowing water, birds chirping in the distance, insects singing softly beneath the endless blue sky.
And then, for the first time, Shengcha was served to me.
At first, it was just tea.
But after a few cups, something changed.
The aroma unfolded layer by layer, each sip revealing something new. The ShengJin — that beautiful sensation of saliva naturally returning to your mouth — and the deep lingering sweetness that stayed long after swallowing… it was unlike anything I had ever experienced before.
But what touched me the most wasn’t only the taste.
It was the feeling.
For a brief moment, everything slowed down. My thoughts became quieter. My heart felt lighter. It felt warm, peaceful, grounding — almost like nature itself was speaking gently to me through the tea.
And in that exact moment, I told myself:
“I want to share this feeling with others.”
Because I know not everyone can travel to XiGui.
Not everyone can sit beside that river, feel that breeze, or experience that exact moment I had.
But maybe… through a good cup of tea, they can still feel a small piece of it.
A moment of calm.
A breath of peace.
A reminder to slow down.
That is why Hill & Tea° exists.
We may not be able to bring everyone to the mountains,
but we can bring back the tea — and the feeling that came with it.
Hill & Tea° — we only know how to share the best.
